Thursday, September 26, 2024

3 Nephi 8 - 11

In the last few years, there has been a language change, I first noticed in Grant Hardy’s Maxwell Institute Book of Mormon Study Edition about the Three Nephites—nowhere in the scriptures are they called the three Nephites. They may have been Lamanites, Nephites, or both.

In President Dallin H. Oaks' April 2023 General Conference talk, he said, "After His ministry in the Holy Land, Jesus Christ appeared to the righteous on the American continent." Other scholars have used a variety of descriptors including, Lehi’s descendants or Lehi’s children,  Nephites and Lamanites, and Lehite survivors. This is something to consider as we work through these chapters of the Savior's visit.

3 Nephi 8:5, 6, 17-19, 21-23

Timing

Even in the bright light of written commentary and artistic depiction, a question persists about the dating of the risen Jesus’ visit to the Americas. One view holds that approximately one year had passed following the severe destruction that attended Jesus’ death. A second view suggests that the Savior’s visit occurred in connection with or soon after his initial appearance to his disciples in Jerusalem following the resurrection (see Luke 24:28–43; John 20:11–18). A third view, which stands between these two, maintains that the Savior’s manifestation occurred only following his forty-day ministry (see Acts 1:3–4). 

S. Kent Brown, “When Did Jesus Visit the Americas?” in From Jerusalem to Zarahemla: Literary and Historical Studies of the Book of Mormon (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1998), 146–156.


“As with other ancient measurements of time, the term hour is not necessarily a standard unit of time. The word “hour” does not even appear in the Bible until the book of Daniel, and the word “hour” in the New Testament can mean anything from an instant, to 45 minutes, to an hour and a quarter, a period of three hours or even longer.” That there may be different measurements in Mesoamerica for the term hour is evidenced in Alma 18:14, where it indicates that the “king answered him not for the space of an hour according to their time”. Although the length of an hour is not necessarily critical to this hazard analysis, a longer hour may provide for a longer length of time for the hazards that are delimited to the three-hour period identified in 3rd Nephi.” Jerry Grover. 2014


3 Nephi 8:5 This is the seventh and last event in the BoM to be dated precisely, by year, month, and day. The others were Amulek’s encounter with an angel (Alma 10.6); Alma and Amulek’s deliverance from prison (Alma 14.23); the destruction of Ammonihah (Alma 16.1); an invasion by the Lamanites (Alma 49.1); the death of Amalickiah (Alma 52.1); and Captain Moroni’s receipt of a letter from Helaman (Alma 56.1). (Footnote)

Hardy, Grant. The Annotated Book of Mormon (p. 634). Oxford University Press. 


Three Days of Darkness 
The Know
In the 1960s, Hugh Nibley compared these Book of Mormon accounts to descriptions of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Since that time, several other scholars, including many professional geologists, have examined these accounts and widely agreed that the three-day darkness and other destructive forces described in the Book of Mormon accounts involve a volcanic eruption.

The main reason for this is the three-day period of darkness. Geologists who have studied the 3 Nephi 8 account generally agree that nothing except volcanic ash and dust clouds could account for the three days of darkness, as it is described. Not only the darkness, but the excessive lightning, thundering, tempest, and many other features can all be explained by volcanic activity.


The Why
In graphic detail, the Book of Mormon documents a divinely caused natural disaster occurring at the time of Christ’s death that many geologists agree appears to have involved a volcanic eruption, most likely occurring simultaneously with an earthquake along a strike-slip fault line. Thus far, current geologic evidence supports the following conclusions:

At least one region in the Americas (Veracruz, Mexico) possessed the necessary geologic characteristics. 

At least one volcano in that region (San Martín) appears to have erupted in the first century AD. 

There was further volcanic activity in Mesoamerica in and around the first century AD.
Ice core samples indicate that a major volcanic event took place somewhere in the world around AD 30–40—around or close to the time of Christ’s death.

While none of this can be linked directly to the events described in 3 Nephi, it goes to show that, as with the sign at Christ’s birth, there is nothing scientifically implausible in the account given in 3 Nephi 8–10. In fact, the fulfillment of this prophesied volcanic disaster is strikingly realistic, especially its three days of smoky vapor and thick darkness.

Also, as was the sign of great light at the time of Christ’s birth, the profound darkness at his death and time in the tomb is strongly symbolic. Just as the “excessive light surrounding Christ’s birth acts as a kind of morning,” the “darkness surrounding Christ’s death acts as a kind of evening.” Alvin Benson aptly stated, “It appears that the earth was symbolically manifesting its gloom over the death of its creator.” 


Now, it's easy enough to say these are horrible destructions, natural disasters. We see more of these today than we would like to. But the ancients would've seen this in a very particular way. . . . [the] wind,  . . . fire . . . sea. . . . earth. And the way the ancients looked at things, these were the four primal elements. You have wind, earth, fire, water, and those elements that constitute the building blocks of creation are being undone.


3 Nephi 9:14-15, 18-21
President Oaks
“Most of the scriptures reporting Jesus’s mortal ministries are descriptions of what He did. My message today consists of a selection of the words of our Savior—what He said. These are words recorded in the New Testament (including the inspired additions of Joseph Smith) and in the Book of Mormon.

After His ministry in the Holy Land, Jesus Christ appeared to the righteous on the American continent. These are some of the words He spoke there:” 

3 Nephi 9:15.
3 Nephi 9:18–21
3 Nephi 11:38.

I affirm the truth of these teachings in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
President Dallin H. Oaks


Jason Olson
Whereas in the Book of Mormon, it is a bridge testament, and you actually transition from the Nephites before the coming of Jesus Christ living according to the Torah and the covenant that they took with them from Jerusalem, and then you can actually see their transition into covenant teachings that Jesus Christ brought them.

In the Book of Mormon, God is not creating a new people. He's working with the same people.
Before Jesus is coming to Bountiful, they're living the law of Moses and they're building temples and we don't have that much evidence, but it's clear that they're at least living the Sabbath and I can see patterns where they're living the holy days. 

3 Nephi 9:20
Jason: And this is where you can see perfectly the transition from you could say Old Testament to New Testament. Jesus says, “And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost.

Everything Jesus is doing is actually just taking us further inward. So Jesus is getting rid of all the superficialities and he's going inside.
Jason Olson, The Burning Book: A Jewish-Mormon Memoir


3 Nephi 10:1-13
“Cumulatively, Christ says, in effect: I have done everything I could, I would do more if you let me, and I will continue to do everything I can. For Mormon, Christ’s maternity is reflected at least in the consistency of his love: that he has, does, would, and will continue to extend his hand to Israel.”
Daniel Becerra, 3rd, 4th Nephi Maxwell Institute Brief Theological Introduction.

10:4–7: These four questions beginning with how oft—which range from the past, to the hypothetical past, to the future—are all variations of Jesus’s lament for Jerusalem at Mt 23.37 and Lk 13.34. The first two questions are addressed to the deceased Nephites, the third to deceased Jerusalemites, and the fourth to those hearing his voice. In contrast with the NT parallels, the last question was still an open one, an invitation that could be either accepted or rejected.
Hardy, Grant. The Annotated Book of Mormon (p. 634). Oxford University Press.

3 Nephi 11
Although Book of Mormon prophets regularly foretold Jesus’s life in Judea, there were only a few references to his New World ministry (1 Ne 12.4–7; 2 Ne 26.1–9; 32.6; Alma 16.20; 45.10). In particular, Samuel the Lamanite apparently said nothing about it, even though he prophesied in detail about the signs the Nephites would see of Christ’s birth and death (Hel 14; cf. 1 Ne 19.10–12). The Nephites in the city of Bountiful eventually remember prophecies that the Lord would appear to them, but this was not something they had been specifically looking for.
Hardy, Grant. The Annotated Book of Mormon (p. 555). Oxford University Press.





at No comments:

Thursday, September 19, 2024

3 Nephi 1-7

Quote #1: Here we witness a phenomenon which is repeated ad nauseam in the Book of Mormon: the wicked who refuse to believe dare not allow others to believe. There is no room in their tightly controlled epistemological system for faith or spirit or revelation or hope. They do not know so they conclude that no one else knows. They cannot feel, so they dare not allow others to feel. In this case they shun the light of evidence that comes from God and refuse others the right to wait patiently on the Lord for the signs to be given” (McConkie et al., Doctrinal Commentary, 4:5).

Quote #2: Although there is only little difference between a thief and a robber in most modern minds, there were considerable differences between the two under ancient Near Eastern law. A thief was usually a local person who stole from his neighbor. He was dealt with judicially. He was tried and punished civilly, most often by a court composed of his fellow townspeople. A robber, on the other hand, was treated as an outsider, as a brigand or highwayman. He was dealt with militarily, and he could be executed summarily. (Welch and Ward, “Thieves and Robbers,”248).

Quote #3: The descendants of Lehi’s party consistently divided themselves into seven tribes. Significantly, these references come from the earliest as well as the latest periods of Nephite history, indicating the importance and persistence of kinship as a basic element in this society….

Though different forms of government might come and go in Nephite history, the underlying family fabric of this society remained permanent. Even in the darkest days or political collapse, all the people still had ‘much family,’ and the tribal structure was present to supplant the collapsed government. This tribal government had always been in place. What we see in 3 Nephi 7 is a default government, not centralized like that formerly headed by kings or chief judged, yet sufficiently capable to enact and administer their laws, every one according to his tribe. A version of that dispersed political structure surely continued following the appearance of Jesus Christ, because nothing is said of any central government from then until possibly the time of Mormon. (Sorenson et al., “Seven Tribes,” 93-94).

Quote #4: The word heart is used five times in these three verses to discuss the influence of Satan over the Nephites who had wandered into apostasy. They became “hard in their hearts, and blind in their minds.” They now discounted and disbelieved the wonders and miracles they had seen. They imagined it had been “some vain thing in their hearts” – something that had been conjured up by men with the aid of the devil to “deceive the hearts of the people.” Thus, Satan had led away their hearts into disbelief. As the people began to resist the gospel of Jesus Christ and ceased to keep some of the commandments, Satan further led away their hearts, “tempting them and causing them that they should do great wickedness.” Thus, apostasy is largely a condition of the heart. Once the people forgot, took for granted, and rationalized their blessings, they stopped believing and were easily led into sinful behaviors. (John W. Welch. Inspirations and Insights from the Book of Mormon. Pg. 240.)

Quote #5: Jesus taught that signs are not a cure for disbelief. The unbelievers in 3 Nephi were not changed by the signs they had seen, including the night with no darkness – they rationalized them away or scribed them to the devil. Mormon stated, despondently, “And thus did Satan get possession of the hearts of the people again:. Signs that follow faith tend to strengthen faith, but signs alone do not function well in generation faith and may even lead to rationalization. Well might we say instead of “seeing is believing,” that “believing is seeing.” (John W. Welch. Inspirations and Insights from the Book of Mormon. Pg. 240)

Things that weaken conversion….

Things that strengthen conversion….

What is the lesson for me here?

3 Nephi 1:5-11

3 Nephi 1: 29-30

3 Nephi 2:1-3

3 Nephi 3:12-16

3 Nephi 4:8-10;30-33

3 Nephi 6:13-18

3 Nephi 7:15-22

Agnostic: I don’t know if there’s a God

Atheist: I don’t believe that there’s a God

Apathyist: I don’t care if there’s a God

Why should I walk a covenant path?

Do I need to enter a house for making covenants?

Why do I wear the holy garments?

Should I invest in a covenant relationship with the Lord?

Quote #6: President Nelson told a group of young adults: “I believe that if the Lord were speaking to you directly tonight, the first thing He would make sure you understand is your true identity. My dear friends, you are literally spirit children of God. Designations, labels and identifiers can be important and positive, but can be of unequal value and also change with the passage of time, but if any label replaces the most important identifiers, the results can be spiritually suffocating. First, I am a child of God, I am a son of god; then a son of the covenant; then a disciple of Jesus Christ and a devoted member of His restored Church. Next would come my honored titles as a husband and father, then Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. Other labels – such as a medical doctor, surgeon, researcher, professor, lieutenant, captain, Caucasian, Ph.D., American and so forth – would fall somewhere down the list. With that in mind, first and foremost, each of you is a child of God. Second, as a member of the Church, you are a child of the covenant, and third, you are a disciple of Jesus Christ. Tonight I plead with you not to replace these three paramount and unchanging identifiers with any others, because doing so could stymie your progress or pigeonhole you in a stereotype that could potentially thwart your eternal progression….Please do not misunderstand me, I am not saying that other designations and identifiers are not significant. I am simply saying that no identifier should displace, replace or take priority over these three enduring designations: ‘child of God’, ‘child of the covenant’ and ‘disciple of Jesus Christ’.”

Quote #7: President Nelson “My dear brothers and sisters, the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives….When the focus of our lives is on God’s plan of salvation, and Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in our lives. Joy comes from and because of Him. He is the source of all joy. We feel it at Christmastime when we sing, “Joy to the world, the Lord is come.” And we can feel it all year round. For Latter-day Saints, Jesus Christ is joy!....How, then, can we claim that joy? We can start by “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” “in every thought.” We can give thanks for Him in our prayers and by keeping covenants we’ve made with Him and our Heavenly Father. As our Savior becomes more and more real to us and as we plead for His joy to be given to us, our joy will increase…..Joy is powerful, and focusing on joy brings God’s power into our lives. As in all things, Jesus Christ is our ultimate exemplar, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.” Think of that! In order for Him to endure the most excruciating experience ever endured on earth, our Savior focused on joy!

And what was the joy that was set before Him? Surely it included the joy of cleansing, healing, and strengthening us; the joy of paying for the sins of all who would repent; the joy of making it possible for you and me to return home—clean and worthy—to live with our Heavenly Parents and families.

If we focus on the joy that will come to us, or to those we love, what can we endure that presently seems overwhelming, painful, scary, unfair, or simply impossible?

What will you and I be able to endure as we focus on the joy that is “set before” us? What repenting will then be possible? What weakness will become a strength? What chastening will become a blessing? What disappointments, even tragedies, will turn to our good? And what challenging service to the Lord will we be able to give?

As we diligently focus on the Savior and then follow His pattern of focusing on joy, we need to avoid those things that can interrupt our joy.”

When Faith Endures

I will not doubt, I will not fear;

God’s love and strength are always near.

His promised gift helps me to find

An inner strength and peace of mind.

I give the Father willingly

My trust, my prayers, humility.

His Spirit guides; his love assures

That fear departs when faith endures.

Text: Naomi W. Randall, 1908–2001. © 1985 IRI

Music: Stephen M. Jones, b. 1960. © 1985 IRI

at No comments:

Thursday, September 12, 2024

Helaman 13-16

Quote #1: Never before have the Nephites been wicked enough to attract a prophet from outside

their nation, and never before have the Lamanites been consistently righteous enough to provide one

Never before has the economy allowed Lamanites and Nephites to freely enter one another’s

territory. (Helaman: a brief theological introduction. Kimberly Matheson Berkey. Pg. 94.)


Quote #2: While it is understandable that Samuel would have known and used words spoken by his

missionary and friend Nephi, it is quite astonishing that these links between Samuel and Nephi were

so purposefully used by Samuel, preserved by Mormon, and were included and translated by Joseph

Smith with such exactness.


Quote #3: Samuel is introduced as a foil to Nephi. Beyond their role as the two preachers who

conclude the book, a whole rash of other textual details put Samuel and Nephi side by side. Both are

returning home when they are interrupted by a divine commission. Each prophet delivers two signs.

They both prophesy of a coming Messiah. Both call on the Nephites to repent. Each causes a division

among the people. They are both described in supernatural terms (God, devil). Both exit the narrative

together. The text’s last mention of Nephi occurs just two verses before Samuel’s exit from

Zarahemla.

As Narrative foils, however, the differences between the two are just as instructive. Where Nephi’s

preaching prioritized the contemporary consequences of Nephite wickedness, Samuel focuses on the

future calamities that await the people. While Nephi’s signs were local, political, and focused on the

Nephites, Samuel’s signs are cosmic – apocalyptic, even – and primarily concerned with the Messiah.

It’s also curious that Samuel seems largely uninterested in the Gadianton robbers, whereas Nephi

shaped his entire intervention around secret combinations. Mormon clearly hopes that a shared

picture will come into focus between these two prophets, but if Nephi gave us something like a fine

zoom on Nephite life, Samuel provides readers with a wide angle lens. Samuel’s inclusion in this

prophetic duo reminds us that divine messengers and vital perspectives often emerge right out of our

blind spot, and that it sometimes takes an outsider to help us hear the voice of God. (Helaman: a brief

theological introduction. Kimberly Matheson Berkey. Pg. 95.)


Quote #4: Samuel was a courageous Lamanite prophet sent among the Nephites to preach

repentance and the coming of the Lord shortly before Christ’s birth. Samuel is one of the most colorful

figures in the Book of Mormon, and few readers can forget the image of this fearless servant of God

announcing the dramatic signs of Christ’s birth and death, crying repentance from the walls of

Zarahemla. The proud, wicked, and prejudiced Nephites were offended by the presence of a

Lamanite reproving them for their sins. Historically, that was a Nephite prerogative, but now the roles

were reversed. (Largey, Book of Mormon Reference Companion, 697).


Quote #5: Repentance is not an event; it is a process. It is the key to happiness and peace of mind.

When coupled with faith, repentance opens our access to the power of the Atonement of Jesus

Christ. Whether you are diligently moving along the covenant path, have slipped or stepped from the

covenant path, or can’t even see the path from where you are now, I plead with you to repent…

Experience the strengthening power of daily repentance – of doing and being a little better each day.

When we choose to repent, we choose to change! We allow the Savior to transform us into the best

version of ourselves. When we choose to repent, we choose to become more like Jesus

Christ…Prayerfully seek to understand what stands in the way of your repentance. Identify what stops

you from repenting and then, change! Repent! All of us can do better and be better than ever before.

(Nelson, We can Do Better and Be Better. April 2019)


Quote #6: There is an essential aspect of the plan of happiness of our Father in Heaven that is often

ignored even though it invariably yields peace and joy. This subject is widely misunderstood and often

feared. Some feel that it is to be employed only by those in serious transgression, while the Lord

intended that it be consistently used by everyone of His children. I refer to the blessing of true,

sincere, continuing repentance, the path to peace and joy. It is a conduit to the reforming power of the

Lord and, when understood and used, a dear and precious friend. (Richard G. Scott Path to Peace

and Joy” 25)


Quote #7: When we sin, we turn away from God. When we repent, we turn back toward God. The

invitation to repent is rarely a voice of chastisement but rather a loving appeal to run around and to

‘re-turn’ toward God. It is the beckoning of a loving Father and His Only Begotten Son to be more

than we are, to reach up to a higher way of life, to change, and to feel the happiness of keeping the

commandments. Being disciples of Christ, we rejoice in the blessing of repenting and the joy of being

forgiven. They become part of us, shaping the way we think and feel. (Anderson, “Repent That I May

Heal You,” 40).


Quote #8: We must have gratitude. We must always thank the Lord for our treasures. Where are our

hearts? What would it look like to hide up a treasure unto the Lord? It would look like abandoning the

fantasy that these treasures were yours to keep in the first place. It would look like sacrificing your

claim to all things.” (Mormon: a brief theological introduction. Adam S. Miller. Pg 51)


Quote #9: Many have asked why God would consistently reward the virtues of the Nephites with a

prosperity which almost infallibly destroyed that virtue. The answer is in the ‘almost’ – there is no

paradox here; wealth need not be destructive. A person in exuberant health is certainly more likely to

be tempted of the flesh than one suffering from a dire disease. And yet exuberant good health is a

reward of right living. The temptations of health and the temptations of wealth are real, to be sure, but

they are not irresistible, and they are necessary to test mankind in this life of probation. (Nibley, Since

Cumorah, 355)


Quote #10: Any honest assessment of life in the twenty-first century must admit: our grip on our

money is much harder to loosen than our grip on virtually any other part of our lives. We are often no

better than the Nephites on this score, and we are just as liable to listen to voices that alleviate our

guilt rather than stir us up to repentance. If scripture’s prophets begin to sound boorish or repetitive

on this point, it is only because we are as blind and self-congratulatory as the Nephites. (Helaman: a

brief theological introduction. Kimberly Matheson Berkey. Pg. 98.)


Quote #11: What pure, unadulterated hypocrisy it is for those who reject the living prophets to say ‘If

we had lived in former days, we would have accepted the prophets whom others rejected.’ Prophets

are prophets, truth is truth, and rebellion is rebellion. The spirit which leads men to fight God in one

age is the same that operates in every age. Those who reject the Lord’s anointed today would have

done so anciently. (McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:622)


Quote #12: Every wrong decision one makes restricts the area in which he can thereafter exercise

his agency. The further one goes in the making of wrong decisions in the exercise of agency, the

more difficult it is for him to recover the lost ground. He then becomes an abject slave. By the

exercise of his agency, he has decreased the area in which he can act, almost to the vanishing point.

(Romney, “Perfect Law of Liberty,” 45)


Quote #13: The pivotal occasions when Christ has come to the earth, meaning both his first and his

second comings, have been preceded by signs so that the faithful may know and be blessed. Signs

help the Lord’s people to be prepared and, because they know what to watch for, to avoid deception.

(Parry and Parry, Understanding the Signs of the Times, 1).


Quote #14: Regarding the coming of Christ, Samuel most impressively quotes specific words found

in the Nephite scriptures. It is interesting to note that “the name” of Christ in the center of King

Benjamin’s speech in Mosiah 3:8 is found in Samuel’s text in Helaman 14:12. These words are (the

twenty-one-English-word) title for the Lord – “Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of Heaven and

of earth, the creator of all things from the beginning.” The Nephites had taken the name upon

themselves by way of covenant, as they were instructed by King Benjamin. (John W. Welch.

Inspirations and Insights from the Book of Mormon. Pg. 235)


Quote #15: Elder John A. Widtsoe taught that evidence can remove honest doubt and give

assurances that build faith. ‘After proper inquiries, using all the powers at our command’, he said, ‘the

weight of evidence is on one side or the other. Doubt is removed.’ ‘Doubt of the right kind – that is,

honest questioning – leads to faith’ and ‘opens the door to truth, ‘for where there is doubt, faith cannot

thrive (Evidences and Reconciliations, 28-29). Elder Joseph Fielding Smith likewise affirmed that

evidence, as convincing as in any court in the land, proves ‘beyond the possibility of doubt that

Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery spoke the truth’. (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:124) (Welch, “Power of

Evidence in the Nurturing of Faith, 155)


Quote #16: In a book full of slippery treasures, an unsteady earth, and Nephite morality in a constant

tailspin, the Lamanites are virtually the only immovable thing within these pages. Their firmness is so

extreme, in fact, that it has secured for them a fixed promise from the Lord. It is precisely through this

exemplary faithfulness, in other words, that the Lamanites secure the covenant future that the

Nephites are in the process of forfeiting.

The most miraculous nationwide conversions, the most famous and faithful band of soldiers (Alma

53), and even the famous “remnant” to whom the Book of Mormon itself is addressed – all belong to

the Lamanites. They have their moments of wickedness too, to be sure, but when they get it right,

they get it far more right than the Nephites ever did. (Helaman: a brief theological introduction.

Kimberly Matheson Berkey. Pg. 101-102)


Quote #17: Scriptures repeatedly warn that the father of contention opposes the plan of our Heavenly

Father. Satan’s method relies on the infectious canker of contention. Satan’s motive: to gain personal

acclaim even over God Himself. The work of the adversary may be likened to loading guns in

opposition to the work of God. Consecutive attacks with these guns containing germs of contention

are aimed and fired at strategic targets essential to that holy work. These vital targets include – in

addition to the individual – the family, leaders of the Church, and divine doctrine. (Nelson, “Canker of

Contention,”69).


Quote #18: If we come away from our reading of Helaman shaking our heads at the blindness and

willful stupidity of the Nephites, patting ourselves on the back for noticing what they failed to see, or

eagerly sleuthing for secret enemies lurking in the shadows, we will have missed the message of this

text. The message of Helaman is not “be hypervigilant against threat” but rather “you are not as good

at assessing threats as you think you are”. The book of Helaman encourages readers to turn a self-

critical eye on themselves, their relationships, and their treasures; to look in the mirror of prophetic

words to see where we fall short and where God is staring pointedly back at us; to excavate the

invisible corners of our hearts and clear room for heaven to surprise us. (Helaman: a brief theological

introduction. Kimberly Matheson Berkey. Pg. 11

at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)